• This Forum is for adults 18 years of age or over. By continuing to use this Forum you are confirming that you are 18 or older. No content shall be viewed by any person under 18 in California.

Short Action, Long Range and Varget, which caliber for rebarrel?

Hey all,

Looking for opinions to consider. I have a Rem 700 in 308 I would like to rebarrel and have the action trued up. I also have a fair bit of Varget I would like to continue using. I’m often shooting 1000 to 1300, not competitively though. With this combination, which caliber should I be looking at? Ideally something that will last at least 1500 rounds.

Many thanks.
 
.223/.308 both love Varget but as stated above so do the 6mm cartridges. 6BR/6GT. Both good for your application. The GT will run over 3000 fps with 115s. Plenty for out to 1300 yards. Mild recoil and very accurate. Short action platform will work also. I've seen the 6.5 CM run with Varget also with 140s but it's much slower than most others better suited for it. 2650-2750 were the top end numbers I think if I remember correctly. The 308 or the 6mm option is best for Varget IMO.
 
6BRX works great with Varget, good barrel life, easy to make cases, minimal recoil, very accurate, easy to tune. I have shot a pair for about 10 plus years, 20 some barrels. Has been competitive from 100 to 1000 yds.
 
Do not count out the 6XC. A few more horses. A bud ran one w some extra neck length to 800 rds, X Cal bbl, before it stopped shooting zeros and low ones consistently. Same 20 pcs of brass. Easy peasy from Palma brass.
 
With those requirements you're pretty well locked into a 6mm of some sort. They're listed above...a 6BR derivative such as a BRA/Dasher, or maybe a 6GT, XC, etc.

That said, I probably wouldn't choose any of those cartridges for dedicated 1000-1300 yard shooting unless the conditions were usually very calm, or my range terrain/features gave me above average ability to read the wind.

The 6mms are amazing at distance until environmental factors make them...less awesome.

In my mind it would depend on the range/conditions, the size of the target you're shooting at, and your expectations for accuracy/hit consistency at those distances.

If it were me (and I had the environmental/terrain conditions that I do), I'd want to be in a H4831sc/H1000/RL22-23 type cartridge, and something bigger than a 6mm for those ranges.
 
With those requirements you're pretty well locked into a 6mm of some sort. They're listed above...a 6BR derivative such as a BRA/Dasher, or maybe a 6GT, XC, etc.

That said, I probably wouldn't choose any of those cartridges for dedicated 1000-1300 yard shooting unless the conditions were usually very calm, or my range terrain/features gave me above average ability to read the wind.

The 6mms are amazing at distance until environmental factors make them...less awesome.

In my mind it would depend on the range/conditions, the size of the target you're shooting at, and your expectations for accuracy/hit consistency at those distances.

If it were me (and I had the environmental/terrain conditions that I do), I'd want to be in a H4831sc/H1000/RL22-23 type cartridge, and something bigger than a 6mm for those ranges.
Absolutely but with a question of Varget and short action, there is very much a limited number of options. Personally I'd have to opt for the .308 with heavier bullet options. Many more weight options and Varget propels many of them.
 
I've had my TR gun to 1300 with 20Xs before...it was.... 'sporty'. :eek::D
Never shot the 208/215 class of .308 bullets but I'd think that combo with Varget would be the ticket. 2550+ and good numbers should be a decent choice LR bullet given Varget is the only option for the OP. Obviously opting for .264/.284 or bigger .30 would be best, given the OP's powder choice, the .308 doesn't really look too bad.
 
I would look hard at the 6.5 Creedmoor it will run very nicely with Varget and 120ish grain bullets. You would also have the option of moving to the 140-147 bullets and a new powder to increase long range performance. When the wind comes up the 6mm goes to the house. :) Just kidding the 6mm is a great round. But the 6.5 cm and the 6.5 x 47 are both worth looking at.
 
Hey all,

Looking for opinions to consider. I have a Rem 700 in 308 I would like to rebarrel and have the action trued up.
I also have a fair bit of Varget I would like to continue using.
I’m often shooting 1000 to 1300, not competitively though.
With this combination, which caliber should I be looking at?
Ideally something that will last at least 1500 rounds.


Many thanks.

With those requirements you're pretty well locked into a 6mm of some sort. They're listed above...a 6BR derivative such as a BRA/Dasher, or maybe a 6GT, XC, etc.

That said, I probably wouldn't choose any of those cartridges for dedicated 1000-1300 yard shooting unless the conditions were usually very calm, or my range terrain/features gave me above average ability to read the wind.

The 6mms are amazing at distance until environmental factors make them...less awesome.

In my mind it would depend on the range/conditions, the size of the target you're shooting at, and your expectations for accuracy/hit consistency at those distances.

If it were me (and I had the environmental/terrain conditions that I do), I'd want to be in a H4831sc/H1000/RL22-23 type cartridge, and something bigger than a 6mm for those ranges.

Absolutely but with a question of Varget and short action, there is very much a limited number of options. Personally I'd have to opt for the .308 with heavier bullet options. Many more weight options and Varget propels many of them.

Yes, I know, that's a lot of quoted material to read through before wading into more thoughts but I think it's important to try to put some perspective into a request such as this. There's some good information in all of them.

Opinions are great, we all have them and they are appreciated by the members and posters. The drawback is that without experience or backup data, they are just that, an opinion. And in a situation such as this, the OP is looking at a significant investment when the potential of a less than stellar performance and disappointment is a distinct possibility.

The .308 Win. is one of my favorite cartridges if for nothing else, the flexibility it brings to many of the shooting venues. It's easy on barrels and there are a bunch of combinations of bullets and powders available from experienced shooters. But...

Weight it down with a heavy for caliber bullet (210, 215) and one powder (Varget) then expect it to perform admirably and consistently out to 1,300 yards, you are looking at a sackful of compromise where nothing real good will come of it except mediocrity. Not many of us find mediocrity acceptable.:(

I admit that I am not a fan of Varget. I gave all mine away a long time ago and never bought any more. There are better powders for the shooting I do. Others disagree and that's their right.;)

1,300 yards should necessarily require horsepower and just because you want to reuse a short action, should not cause you any pain. Wind is the demon you have to battle once a bullet leaves your barrel. Between 0 and 1,300 yards, there is a huge potential that it will have a detrimental effect on each and every shot you fire. But those effects will not be consistent since the wind does as it pleases whenever it wants. If you're going to go into battle with the wind you need two things at a minimum; horsepower and BC.

I use the 6.5mm caliber frequently because of the number of fine cartridges available. Coupled with that, there is a huge selection of high quality bullets for longer range shooting. If you limit the bolt face to that of the .308 Win. then I suggest the 6.5 Creedmoor, hands down. Add one of the 140 grain Bergers over Re-16/17 and enjoy!:D I shoot a 130 gr. VLD which is better number-wise than the 140's. Real performance though can be achieved by loading the 121 grain Warner Flat Line. Yes I know, they cost more money and you're really not competing anyway so why buy expensive bullets? Because they work for the situation you specify!;)

If you want to go for all the gusto, have your bolt face opened up and chamber for the 6.5 SAUM or the 6.5 PRC. Now you're firing on all 8 cylinders!:D

Enjoy!:)
 
Yes, I know, that's a lot of quoted material to read through before wading into more thoughts but I think it's important to try to put some perspective into a request such as this. There's some good information in all of them.

Opinions are great, we all have them and they are appreciated by the members and posters. The drawback is that without experience or backup data, they are just that, an opinion. And in a situation such as this, the OP is looking at a significant investment when the potential of a less than stellar performance and disappointment is a distinct possibility.

The .308 Win. is one of my favorite cartridges if for nothing else, the flexibility it brings to many of the shooting venues. It's easy on barrels and there are a bunch of combinations of bullets and powders available from experienced shooters. But...

Weight it down with a heavy for caliber bullet (210, 215) and one powder (Varget) then expect it to perform admirably and consistently out to 1,300 yards, you are looking at a sackful of compromise where nothing real good will come of it except mediocrity. Not many of us find mediocrity acceptable.:(

I admit that I am not a fan of Varget. I gave all mine away a long time ago and never bought any more. There are better powders for the shooting I do. Others disagree and that's their right.;)

1,300 yards should necessarily require horsepower and just because you want to reuse a short action, should not cause you any pain. Wind is the demon you have to battle once a bullet leaves your barrel. Between 0 and 1,300 yards, there is a huge potential that it will have a detrimental effect on each and every shot you fire. But those effects will not be consistent since the wind does as it pleases whenever it wants. If you're going to go into battle with the wind you need two things at a minimum; horsepower and BC.

I use the 6.5mm caliber frequently because of the number of fine cartridges available. Coupled with that, there is a huge selection of high quality bullets for longer range shooting. If you limit the bolt face to that of the .308 Win. then I suggest the 6.5 Creedmoor, hands down. Add one of the 140 grain Bergers over Re-16/17 and enjoy!:D I shoot a 130 gr. VLD which is better number-wise than the 140's. Real performance though can be achieved by loading the 121 grain Warner Flat Line. Yes I know, they cost more money and you're really not competing anyway so why buy expensive bullets? Because they work for the situation you specify!;)

If you want to go for all the gusto, have your bolt face opened up and chamber for the 6.5 SAUM or the 6.5 PRC. Now you're firing on all 8 cylinders!:D

Enjoy!:)
Again, back to the Varget only question. Will Varget perform in those cartridges optimally ? Most know that the bigger 6.5s,7s and 30s are a much better option but the OP mentioned ONLY Varget.
 
"I would like to..." doesn't ever translate to be ONLY Varget. It does imply the potential of making a different decision.

Regards.
That be true. Scratch the word ONLY. Trying to decide on a Varget "Only" cartridge for 1000-1300 yard shooting really narrows the field. Considering the possibility of other powders opens it up even in a Short action.
 
Hey all,

Looking for opinions to consider. I have a Rem 700 in 308 I would like to rebarrel and have the action trued up. I also have a fair bit of Varget I would like to continue using. I’m often shooting 1000 to 1300, not competitively though. With this combination, which caliber should I be looking at? Ideally something that will last at least 1500 rounds.

Many thanks.

Your parameters fight each other. You want the horsepower to shoot to 1300 but you want it in a short action. That would suggest a short Magnum. Then you want to use Varget and get good barrel life.
 
You have to pick the right tool for the job. (1000-1300) Varget isn't the best choice.
Plus Varget is a known barrel burner. If your going to do alot of reloading in the future,
learn some new powders and what they can do. I'm sure you can go back to Varget at some point.
We all have "alot" of one powder or another, but don't narrow down what you can do with
one powder.
You can do what you want, but as you can see almost all the responses are telling you to
go with a bigger case or heavier bullet or both. That should tell you something.
He said , he has a fair amount of Varget, not that he has to use it.
 
Putting the cart before the horse. Decide on the bullet for the job, then the case that will drive it, then what you need for that combo. You can always sell the Varget, the action or whatever.
 

Upgrades & Donations

This Forum's expenses are primarily paid by member contributions. You can upgrade your Forum membership in seconds. Gold and Silver members get unlimited FREE classifieds for one year. Gold members can upload custom avatars.


Click Upgrade Membership Button ABOVE to get Gold or Silver Status.

You can also donate any amount, large or small, with the button below. Include your Forum Name in the PayPal Notes field.


To DONATE by CHECK, or make a recurring donation, CLICK HERE to learn how.

Forum statistics

Threads
164,683
Messages
2,182,668
Members
78,476
Latest member
375hhfan
Back
Top